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Apple designed their new iPods to be very difficult to take apart without destroying major components. Because of the metal faceplate, the metal backing, and the 13 (yes, 13) metal clips holding the case together, this is one of the toughest iPods to disassemble.

Proceed with caution and the warning that you may significantly damage your iPod beyond its present condition. Also, you may want a few extra pairs of plastic opening tools during installation, as they are easy to ruin when opening the iPod. Have fun!

Before opening your iPod, ensure that the hold switch is in the locked position.

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Opening this iPod is challenging. Don't get discouraged if it takes you a few tries before the iPod is opened. One thing to notice is the angle of the plastic opening tool's tip while inserting it into the iPod. Ideally, the angle should be as vertical as possible while still clearing the edge of the rear panel.

Insert a plastic opening tool into the seam between the front and back of the iPod.

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Push with your fingers on the rear panel behind the putty knife to minimize bending. Slowly flex the putty knife, as shown in the picture, to ensure that most of the metal tabs on this side of the iPod are disengaged.

The theory behind this method is, rather than attempting to not bend the rear panel at all, to bend it in a favorable manner that allows you to easily restore it later. Therefore, any bend in the sides of the rear panel should be drawing the lip of the rear panel away from the iPod, rather than pushing out on the curved surface. This method also disengages as many of the side clips as possible.

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Near the center of the display, carefully insert a metal spudger into the gap created by the plastic opening tool.

It is easy to create a noticeable bump in the rear panel here that is difficult to repair. When prying the tab free, try to have the metal spudger pivot on the edge of the rear panel rather than bending the rear panel outward.

Using the metal spudger, disengage the single clip on the top of the iPod.

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Remove the plastic opening tool from the top corner and insert it into the seam between the front and back of the iPod, leaving at least 1.5 inches of space between the two tools (as done on the other side).

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At an angle, carefully insert a putty knife about 1/8 inch into the seam between the two opening tools.

Again, there are thin metal rails running along the inside of the rear panel, so take great care when inserting the putty knife.

Once the putty knife has cleared the lip of the rear panel, angle the putty knife so that it is vertical, and carefully (but firmly) wiggle it straight down into the iPod via the gap between the plastic opening tools.

Push with your fingers on the rear panel behind the putty knife to minimize bending. Ever so slightly flex the putty knife to ensure that most of the metal tabs on this side of the iPod are disengaged.

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It is easy to create a noticeable bump in the rear panel here that is difficult to repair. When prying the tab free, try to have the metal spudger pivot on the edge of the rear panel rather than bending the rear panel outward.

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There are two ribbon cables connecting the rear panel to the rest of the iPod. In the following step, be careful not to damage these ribbon cables.

Grasp the front panel assembly with one hand and the rear panel with the other.

Take a deep breath!

Gently (GENTLY) disengage the remaining clips on the rear panel by pulling the tops of the front and rear panels away from each other (think of the bottom of the iPod as a hinge), taking great care not to damage the ribbon cables holding the two halves together.

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Now to repair the damage caused by liberating the internal parts of the iPod Classic! It is highly likely that at least one of the metal clips in the lower case has been bent upward. These clips must all be pointing downward in order to reinstall the rear panel.

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Take the broad, flat side of the metal spudger and push the clip down, taking care not to tear the thin metal rail from the rear panel. Alternatively a pair of flat pin nosed pliers can be used to reduce risk of slipping and damaging the headphone jack.

Be careful not to damage any of the headphone jack parts while shaping these clips!

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On a clean, hard surface, lay the rear panel on its side. Carefully but firmly push down on it, rolling the entire lip side back into its proper spot.

It may be necessary to do this multiple times in order to achieve optimal straightness on the sides. It is better to have the edges of the case pushed in slightly too far rather than not far enough, because the reseating of the front panel will bend the rear panel into its correct alignment.

Now that the rear panel is back to a beautiful condition, you can move on to repairing the iPod!

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If you're just trying to remove the rear panel, you can skip Steps 30 and 31.

If your replacement headphone jack includes the white plastic hold switch, simply reinstall the replacement headphone jack. When replacing the hold switch assembly note the locating pin near the hole the silver screw position, concentrate on locating that and the rest falls into place. Once it's all screwed in remember to peal the backing tape off the contact pad just along from the jack.

If your replacement part does not include the plastic hold switch, follow the next steps to transfer the plastic hold switch to your new headphone jack.

Remove the single Phillips screw nearest to the hold switch.

Lift the plastic portion of the Hold switch away from the orange ribbon cable.

Ensure that the black notch lines up with the gray slider during reassembly of the switch (see picture 2).